Hanging Around
by Boo2020
Summary: Apollo is afraid of heights. So is Phoenix. But when it comes to helping someone he cares about, Phoenix doesn't let that get in his way.


This was sort of meant to be a shippy fic, but I think it can be read as platonic too. I just needed to write something for Phoenix/Apollo because it's such a rare ship and I really like it.

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"Alright, Justice, you can do this."

Apollo mumbled that to himself as he stood at the window of the fourth story apartment he was investigating for his most recent client. The fire escape outside the window still needed to be checked, but when Apollo had peeked his head out to peer down, all he could see was a rickety, rusty death trap. It seemed ironic that it was actually meant to save lives in case of a fire. He was sure if he stepped out onto it, he would fall to his death.

He took a deep breath, trying to psych himself up. Athena wasn't there to hold his hand this time, and Mr. Wright was down the hall talking to some witnesses, so it was up to Apollo to get this done. If it was meant for emergencies, it should be fine.

He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead before pushing the window up further so he could fit his body through it. He sat on the ledge of the window and swung his legs through, then carefully slid until his feet were securely planted on the metal grate of the fire escape. He took a shaky breath. "I would tell myself not to look down," he murmured to himself, "but I guess I have to look to see if the killer could have fired from another window. Seems sturdy enough though. You're fine, Apollo."

He took a look around the platform he was on. Nothing much out of the ordinary. Time to look down. He took a cautious step towards the outer railing and placed his hands on it. His knuckles turned white with how hard he was squeezing the rail. So maybe he was still a little more scared than he wanted to admit.

He began to lean out over the railing, his heart hammering in his chest the whole time. He peered down to the next building over. No open or broken windows, but he did have a pretty clear line of sight into one of the windows a story down, in the next building over. He made a note to go talk to the person living in that apartment.

Attempting to be brave and face his fear of heights, he leaned over a little further to look down at the ground. He was only four stories up but it felt like forty, and he could feel himself getting dizzy already. Deciding that enough was enough, Apollo pushed on the railing to straighten himself up.

That was when he heard the shrieking of breaking metal. His weight against the rusty railing of the platform was a little too much, and it had started to bend. He scrambled to stay upright, but his forward momentum was too much. He fell with the railing.

He managed to grip the edge of the platform in one hand as he fell, catching himself. A few seconds later he heard the clanging of the metal railing hitting the ground below. His legs however were swinging in mid air, with nothing to find purchase on, and the next platform a floor below was still too far. He wouldn't be able to jump for it.

"H-help!" he tried weakly. Why now of all times were his Chords of Steel failing him? The metal grate was digging into his hand, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold on. "Someone help! Is anyone there?"

The apartment had been empty save for him when he stepped out onto the platform. He was doomed. In his 25 years of life, this was his worst decision ever. He should have waited for someone else to do it. Screw getting over your fears, clearly he was afraid of heights for a reason! He should have finished up his investigation and crawled back through that window. Now Mr. Wright was going to find him flat as a pancake on the pavement instead.

Apollo gripped the grate tighter, the metal digging in further. If it cut him his blood would make it slippery. He couldn't move around too much, and he didn't have enough upper body strength to pull himself up. He grunted with exertion and closed his eyes. His fingers were starting to go numb. This really was it.

"Apollo? Apollo, where'd you go?"

Apollo's eyes snapped open at the voice. "Mr. Wright!" he screamed, his Chords of Steel finally at full volume.

"Apollo?" He heard Phoenix's voice again, concerned and slightly closer. "Where are you?"

"Help me!" he hollered. "I'm at—ah—the fire escape! I'm slipping!" It was quiet for a moment, then he heard the distinct sounds of someone stepping onto the platform above him. He gripped the grate harder. "Ah, you're shaking it!" he yelled.

"Oh, God, Apollo, hang on." Phoenix got on his hands and knees and leaned out over the edge. He could see Apollo's fingers gripping the ledge. He reached down and wrapped his hand around Apollo's wrist, just above where his bracelet rested.

Apollo made another panicked noise, and when Phoenix risked a glance at his face, he found it wet with tears. "I got you, Apollo," he tried to soothe. "I got you." He reached down with his other hand too. "Apollo, give me your other hand." Apollo swung it up, and Phoenix caught his fingers. "Okay. Calm down, I'm going to try to pull your upper body back onto the platform."

Apollo nodded meekly, his eyes squeezed shut again. Phoenix began to pull. Apollo's legs still still swung, trying to find something to put them on to help push himself up, but there was nothing. He rose steadily anyway, and for once he was thanking every god he could think of for his small stature and relatively light weight, and for the fact that apparently Phoenix was stronger than Apollo would have given him credit for.

Once Phoenix had raised him up to his elbows, the fingers of his right hand were able to grab the grate further in, and he began to pull himself. Phoenix grabbed under his armpit and yanked once more. Apollo was finally able to bring his leg up as Phoenix pulled, and suddenly it was over. He was safe on the grate, no longer dangling from the ledge.

He laid there, panting and sobbing while his heart continued hammering. Phoenix patted him on the back. "Are you okay?" Apollo was still too frightened to do much more than nod. Phoenix shifted to kneel beside him. "Come on, Apollo. Let's get you back through the window."

Phoenix stayed close to the ledge, putting himself between it and Apollo as he helped him stand. He led him back to the window. "Go on through."

He did, falling to the floor as soon as he was safely inside. Phoenix followed him through quickly and knelt beside him again.

"S-Sorry," Apollo said from his knees on the floor. "I can hardly stand. My legs feel like jelly."

Phoenix put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay."

Apollo sniffed again, and before he could stop himself, he'd thrown himself into Phoenix's arms. "Thank you, Mr. Wright. You saved me."

Phoenix tentatively wrapped his arms around Apollo's shaking form. "Hey, I'm just glad you're okay."

Apollo took a deep breath and pulled away, wiping at his face with his sleeve. "If you hadn't come back at that moment, I don't know what would've happened."

"Don't think about it," Phoenix said. "I did, and you're fine, right?" Apollo nodded. Phoenix planted his hands on his shoulders, prompting Apollo to look up curiously. Phoenix looked at him, and Apollo could see the relieved tears shining in Phoenix's own eyes, though none had spilled. "Don't ever scare me like that again, Apollo."

Apollo swallowed, looking away from Phoenix's gaze. "I'll try not to."

Phoenix let go of him and changed positions to sit cross-legged on the carpet. He took a deep breath of his own. "I don't think I can get up now that everything is hitting me. I'm scared of heights, you know."

Apollo looked up, surprise etched on his face. "Really?"

Phoenix nodded. "Yeah. Terrified, actually. It's kind of funny though, when I heard you yelling and realized what was happening, I didn't think twice about going out there."

Apollo stared at the ground in front of him. "I'm also afraid of heights. I was trying to be brave by going out there on my own. It was stupid."

"It wasn't stupid," Phoenix said. He scratched the back of his neck and grinned. "Actually, if I had been there I probably would have told you to go out there so I wouldn't have to. I'm not as courageous as you are."

"I'm not courageous."

Phoenix sighed. "Well, to me you are."

Apollo started to stand up, if only so Phoenix couldn't see his blush. "Thanks, Mr. Wright."

Phoenix got up too and brushed off his pants. "So, did you find anything while you were hanging around out there?" Apollo made a face at him and Phoenix laughed. "Too soon?"

"Way too soon," he said. "But I did notice that there's an apartment in the next building over that has a pretty clear line of sight into this apartment. We should probably go talk to the person who lives there."

Phoenix looked impressed. "Good job, Apollo. Let's come back later for that though, after a scare like that I'm kind of hungry. There's a restaurant down the street, I'll buy?"

Apollo nodded. "Alright, that sounds good."

As they walked towards the door together, Phoenix wrapped an arm around Apollo's shoulders. Apollo tensed, not used to such familiar touches from his boss.

"You're really okay?" Phoenix asked, squeezing him gently. It was rather comforting.

"Yeah, I'm fine now. Thanks."

Phoenix slipped his arm off of Apollo's shoulders as they headed out the door. "Okay. By the way, I'm going to report this building. A fire escape is meant for emergencies, it shouldn't be breaking under the weight of someone as small as you."

Apollo had to smile at that. Phoenix could annoy him to no end sometimes but at least he looked out for his employees… usually. Apollo appreciated that about him.

"We should sue them for pain and suffering," Apollo suggested. "I swear I'm going to need therapy after that."

Phoenix laughed. "Yeah, and there's no way they'd be able to beat the two of us in a civil lawsuit."

"Well, I beat _you_ that one time."

"Pfft, that was only because Maya was in danger. I could have wiped the floor with you normally."

Apollo rolled his eyes. "Keep telling yourself that, Mr. Wright."

"I will, thanks."

By the time they made it downstairs and Apollo's feet touched actual concrete, he'd calmed down significantly, but he still had to breathe a sigh of relief knowing he was back on ground level.

"Mr. Wright, do you think we could move the office down to the main level?" he asked. He was only half kidding.

Phoenix smiled and hit him on the back again. "I don't think so, Apollo, I don't think so."


End file.
